I've been browsing through the book a lot this weekend. I plan to read it from start to finish, eventually. Anyway, I'm still enjoying it tremendously; quite a lot of photos of Chaplin I suspect none of us have seen before, and the resolution is always stunning. The way the comments are used, interchanging quotes from Chaplin, the editor, contemporary press clippings etc., took some days to get fully used to, but I now think it flows very well, all in all. While it would've been nice for us Chaplin die-hards to have the exact source given at the end of each quote, I suspect this was an (understandable) aesthetic choice by the editor(s), for the sake of the flow of the text (correct me if I'm wrong on this, of course).

This is the kind of book that makes stressful and exhausting days a bit more bearable; something to look forward to getting home to.

JonathanJ wrote:I was disappointed with much of the text, though. Much of it is from the autobiography, of course, but quotes from other people that would have been well-served by giving a date and source just appeared with no explanation.

And sorry, but I dont think it was necessary to put the name of the editor and/or author of the chapter before every single passage that that person wrote within that chapter... I think it would have been much clearer if editorial comments were placed in a different font (perhaps italicized).

Sorry you were disappointed by the text. There are actually over a thousand different sources for the text, not just the autobiography. The sources were not listed with each quote for aesthetic reasons, and the intention was always to include them in the appendix. However, at the end of the day, there was no room to include the sources and the decision was made to cut them rather than cut text/images in the book. Also, FYI, the Estate allowed me to correct Chaplin's Autobiography where I could prove factual inaccuracy.

The oral history format was the same as for The James Bond Archives and The Ingmar Bergman Archives and the typographical design is the domain of the book designer. I agree that it can be difficult to get used to, but I have found that over time it becomes automatic, like watching a narration of talking heads in a documentary.

Just curious about something...the film strip...is it a piece of nitrate? I ordered the book and don't really care about the strip, but I was wondering. Just because it was in his archive doesn't mean it is "original." It could have been cut from a print struck in the 70's or later. Does anyone know?

Claudito wrote:Just curious about something...the film strip...is it a piece of nitrate? I ordered the book and don't really care about the strip, but I was wondering. Just because it was in his archive doesn't mean it is "original." It could have been cut from a print struck in the 70's or later. Does anyone know?

The Chaplin Office supplied a print with the 1989 recording of the soundtrack on it.

In my copy, I got the scene with the Tramp and the Millionaire smoking their cigars in the night club. I wonder who got the final scene? The distribution is totally random between countries, so it could turn up anywhere.

Thanks for posting. I guess the strip is a nice reminder of the time when film was really film! It would be nice to at least get a few frames of Charlie...I wouldn't want to get 12 frames of subtitles. Are all the current released copies still part of the first 10,000 run?

Claudito wrote:Are all the current released copies still part of the first 10,000 run?

Yes, the first printing is still on sale worldwide, so it shouldn't be a problem getting it now. Normally, TASCHEN books sell better in the weeks before Christmas - for example, the first printing of The James Bond Archives with the film strip sold out late November.

I ordered last week and got a copy number somewhere close to 9,450. So the first 10,000 are almost gone.

My film strip was from the boxing match by the way.

I mentioned this a year or so ago: I saw City Lights in a theatre and for the first time after countless viewings I noticed the use of dummies in the audience, in fact some right behind Charlie when he is sitting in the ring corner. Now for the first time with this book I can see the dummies in the photos (lots and lots of them). So yes, photo clarity is stunning.

Robert Moulton wrote:I ordered last week and got a copy number somewhere close to 9,450. So the first 10,000 are almost gone.

Thanks for trying to generate some panic buying!

In reality, TASCHEN distribute in batches to different countries, with all the numbers mixed up, and then these are further mixed with copies available from TASCHEN directly (online and at their stores), retailers, online stores, and wholesalers. So you never really know which number, or strip, you are going to get.

jjbluecaps wrote:The film strips are cut through the entire film, or there's strips with only opening cards, intertitles and fade in/out?Will be a little disappointing get a strip without a scene, haha.

I just got a message from the head of production at TASCHEN, who tells me that all the strips have images.

Mr. Duncan....book just came in....incredible...all I can say. The ultimate book on Chaplin...I could get rid of the others. In this day of age of electronics, this volume is an example of the lost art of book making. Oh, and the film strip....who cares!

Claudito wrote:Mr. Duncan....book just came in....incredible...all I can say. The ultimate book on Chaplin...I could get rid of the others. In this day of age of electronics, this volume is an example of the lost art of book making. Oh, and the film strip....who cares!

Glad you like it, and thanks for the compliments, but the book builds on the work of others - I don't think it can replace them!best-paul

Just gotta add, the "Autochrome" shot of the Tramp on p. 156 is absolutely stunning. Would be perfect as a poster. Also, it seems to me his kinship to Geraldine Chaplin is more striking than usual in this one.

Smari1989 wrote:Just gotta add, the "Autochrome" shot of the Tramp on p. 156 is absolutely stunning. Would be perfect as a poster.

Yes, there are actually four colour shots by Zoller. Two by the lamp, and two in front of the studio, but this is by far the best. You can see the others here, and there's also a shot of CC with Ralph Barton.

I guess this topic is old news by now, but I had to chime in. It took about two years, but I finally got through the book. I'm not a slow reader; the size of the book limits where and when it can be read.

I thoroughly enjoyed it. The weird ink used on the photographs has an unusual effect. There was some strange interaction with my eyes, causing the edges to seem blurred for a few minutes at the start of a reading session. Soon, everything adjusted and the photos became amazing!

I really like the sort of mish-mash of the text. Mixed perspectives gave the illusion of group conversation in many cases. It became like sitting with a bunch of Chaplin associates reminiscing about the glory days.

My book is numbered in the six hundreds and, like someone else here, the "City Lights" strip comes from the "Charlie and rich guy smoking cigars" scene. When you consider that 12 frames makes up only a half-second of screen time, there was probably plenty of this scene to go around. I'm not so sure about a 1989 print being called "precious," though. That's pushing it a bit.

While it would be a wonderful thing to find that millions of people get to read this volume, I can't imagine that more than the first 10,000 were ever printed. I just checked Barnes & Noble and they still sell it online (about $150) and it includes the strip of film.

My local B&N store now has the Tashen book on magic in stock for twenty bucks. I'm glad I didn't wait on that one. I bought it the moment it was released, but if the Chaplin leftovers ever get there, I hope to be the first one in to buy them up. I know several people who could benefit from the knowledge and beauty contained in it.

So, if you haven't picked this book up yet (and, as a bonus, you'll get some exercise by picking it up), you should. It might be more convenient to read it on a Kindle or similar, but you really need to hold this thing.

Taschen always releases their books in different sizes. The Magic book you bought is much bigger and has many more pages than the one they are selling now. They'll probably release a $40 version of the Chaplin book next= half the size and missing most of the full page pictures.

$114 + tax. The book is more than a wow; it's a suitably mind-blowing testament to Chaplin, as well as to the publisher's proof reader. Needless to say, we will enjoy this for some time to come. A big plus is the 12-frame strip from City Lights, which we ran last night on our 35 mm projector for all our friends. I took one sip of wine, and it ended a split second later before I could swallow, but it was fun while it lasted.